


My Skin Wasn't Made To Play This Game

by katie_b



Series: Out of the Blue [2]
Category: Doctor Sleep (2019), Doctor Sleep - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, But no, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, technically could still be canon compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:20:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23360821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katie_b/pseuds/katie_b
Summary: Before Danny and Blue were happy, or on their way to it, they had an unwanted visitor. How will they deal with the situation and will they make it through together? Set before Feeling Blue, about a year after Danny arrived in Frasier.
Relationships: Dan "Danny" Torrance/Reader, Dan "Danny" Torrance/You
Series: Out of the Blue [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1669168
Comments: 14
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> so I was planning on writing and posting something different, but this idea wouldn't leave me alone, and now this little au has plot, apparently.  
> As always, shoutout to miki for putting up with me and giving me ideas.  
> The title is from Twenty One Pilots song 'A Car, a Torch, a Death'

When you fell asleep next to Danny, your hand wrapped around his middle, you didn't expect to be woken up by him thrashing around in bed. Your eyes blink open, and you sit up, moving your hair out of your face. Danny's back turned to you, and he's clenching the sheets, whimpering softly. 

_It must be a nightmare_. 

You place a hand on his shoulder, wanting to wake him up. The moment you touch him, though, he lets out a scream, making you flinch back. You stare at him for a moment, wide-eyed. He's never mentioned having nightmares this bad. He starts convulsing, and you reach for him again. 

"Danny?" you try, shaking him slightly. "Danny, wake up!" 

He turns around, grabbing your hand in a vice-like grip. His eyes are fully open now, but they aren't blue. They're milky white, his lips raised in a snarl. A whimper crosses your lips as you attempt to twist away from whatever this _thing_ is, because it isn't Danny, not with those lifeless eyes and the terrifying grimace on his face. 

"Danny, wake up, you're scaring me!" You cry out in pain as he pulls you towards him, his mouth widening in a horrifying grin. You struggle, kicking at the sheets and doing your best to keep away, but it's no use. With a sharp tug, you end up almost in his lap, and you're too scared to think straight, what's going on, _why_ is he doing this- 

"Firefly, wake up, _please_!" 

It's like a switch flipped. 

Danny blinks, his eyes going back to their usual light blue. He looks around in confusion, frowning when he notices he's holding on no you. You let out a shaky breath, pull your arm out of his grasp, and almost fall backwards in your attempt to get out of bed, to put as much space between you and him. You cradle your hand to your chest, feeling the blood come back to the limb. It's going to bruise, but it's the least of your worries right now. 

"Blue? What's wrong? Did som-" he stops in the middle of the sentence, a look of horror appearing on his face. He stares down at his hand, quickly looking back at you shivering in the middle of his apartment. 

"Blue, I'm so sorry, it was a nightmare, I- I can explain-" he moves to stand up, but you stop him. 

"Don't come near me!" You're glancing between him and the door; if it comes down to it, you're pretty sure you can reach the door before he catches you. "What the fuck was that? Why were your eyes white?" _Why did you look at me like you wanted to rip me apart?_

"It's 'cause of the Shining." His voice is so quiet, you almost miss it, but the words freeze you where you're standing. He sits on the edge of the bed, anguish clear on his face. 

"I thought Shining was about... premonitions, or knowing what people around you think. Not this, Firefly." 

"It's never happened before, you have to believe me." 

_But will it happen again?_ The adrenaline from the struggle is gone, and your legs start to shake. Danny notices this, but doesn't move, looking at you. You glance back towards the dining table and the chairs around it, but it seems so impossibly far away. 

"Blue?" 

When you turn back around, he's standing up, his hands up in a placating gesture. "You need to sit down, let me help you." He takes a single step forward, and when you don't move, suddenly too tired for any reaction, he walks up to you. His hand barely brushes your back as he leads you to the bed, moving away immediately to sit on one of the chairs. 

You wrap a blanket from the bed around yourself, and you look at Danny. "What happened?" you say softly. 

"It's complicated," he says with a defeated sigh. "I told you about the Overlook Hotel, and what happened there." You nod, remembering the way his eyes stared straight ahead as he was telling the story, the way his voice grew hoarser and quieter as he recalled the events. 

"Well," he starts, "when my mom and I escaped that night, the things from the hotel decided to follow me. Every couple of years, one of them would appear, and I'd deal with it." 

"Deal with it how?" Your mouth is dry, and you clear your throat. 

Danny gets up, going to the kitchen and filling a glass with water. He walks over to you, settling it on the night stand before sitting back on the chair. You attempt - and hopefully manage - a smile, taking a sip of water Your hands are still trembling as you raise the glass to your mouth, but less than before. Baby steps. 

"I create a box in my mind. I visualize it from outside, from inside, every groove and crack. And when I do that..." He clasps his hands as if trying to catch something. "I trap them inside." 

"That easy?" 

He nods. "That easy." 

"So what happened tonight?" 

Danny looks down, bracing his elbows on his knees. "'What happened' was my father." 

The glass almost slips from your grasp. "Your father, who tried to kill you and your mom with an axe?" 

He nods again. 

You start trembling, the thought that Danny was violated in such a way and then used to attack you making you sick. Your stomach lurches, and it's a conscious effort to keep yourself from throwing up. You look at Danny, and find your own despair in his eyes. 

"Will he come back?" You ask. 

"I don't know. I...I fought him back once I heard you calling for me. And I'll be ready for him if he comes back. But he's so _angry_ , I don't know how to fight that." 

You don't say anything at that, mulling over his words. You're torn between wanting to help your Firefly and not wanting to be faced with those milky eyes ever again. "Would me being here help? If me calling out for you-" 

"Honestly, Blue, I- I don't think so. I don't think it's a coincidence he shows up the first night you're here, and he attacked _you_. I couldn’t put you in danger like that." 

Your mouth thins. The logical part of your mind knows he doesn't mean it that way, but it doesn't stop guilt from taking root in your chest. 

"It's not your fault, Blue," he rushes to explain, seeing the look on your face. 

You narrow your eyes at him. "How can you know for sure? I mean, I'm not the first woman that has slept with you, or has slept over, why now-" 

"It's not you. Trust me." He groans in frustration. "Of course he shows up when I think I'm getting somewhere _good_ , when I think I have a shot at a normal life." 

The sight of him hunched over on the chair, his head hung, makes you want to go to that fucking hotel and kill Jack Torrance, never mind he's already dead. And to think you are possibly part of the reason he's come for Danny... 

You breathe in, coming to terms with your decision. You don't like it, far from it, but you would do anything to stop Danny's suffering. He's had enough of that. 

"Danny," you begin, drawing his attention. You put the glass down, and get up from the bed. "I think I should go." 

"Go where? It's the middle of the night." 

"It wouldn't be the first time I walked home at night." You try putting on a smile, but you doubt he believes it. You start gathering your clothes around the apartment. 

Danny doesn't move from the chair, his eyes following you. "Will you come back tomorrow?" 

You almost nod, but manage to stop yourself. "I don't know, Firebug," you say instead. "If there's a chance he'll come back-" 

"I get it. He hurt you, _I_ hurt you, it’s best we don’t risk it." 

You smile sadly, crouching in front of him. "It's not about that. Not entirely, at least. You deserve to live a life without that monster shadowing you. And if I'm one of the reasons he's decided to come back, then it's simple." You manage a smile despite the tears gathering in the corners of your eyes. "I'll leave." 

"Blue-" 

"It's the last thing I want to do, but we have to at least try it." You lean forward, pressing your foreheads together, and his hand cups the back of your neck. "I mean, it's taken us this long to get here, what's a few more days?" 

"Is that your way of saying I should've asked you out sooner?" 

You sigh, leaning back. There's a wobbly smile on Danny's face, and you savour the sight of his clear eyes. You also hope they'll stay that way. "It's my way of saying we're both patient." You stand up, picking up your bag from the floor. "I'll see you in a few days?" 

"Yeah." 

You ignore the sting of the quickly-forming bruise on your hand as you throw your bag over your shoulder. On your way out of the door, you glance one last time at him. He hasn't moved from the chair, looking back at you, his eyes still blue, but far from light. 

You turn around and walk out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will last night's visit prove to be more than Danny and Blue can handle on their own?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the second chapter is here! yay! and this fic has way more plot than I ever planned it to, but I'm really enjoying it!  
> this chapter features both Danny and Blue's POV, I hope you'll enjoy it!   
> as always shout out to miki for her help with providing songs for the soft

Danny didn't get any rest for the rest of the night. He couldn't stop going over the events, over the fear in Blue's eyes as she tried to get away from him. He'd been forced to watch himself attack her, and he'd been unable to do anything to stop it. 

Until she'd called him Firefly. 

He managed a smile at that. She'd started calling him that soon after he'd met her, and never explained _why_ , but Danny liked the nickname, liked the sense of safety that came with it. When she called him that, he wasn't the son of Jack Torrance, or a recovering alcoholic, or even someone with the Shining. He was just Danny. 

He got up, immediately getting some ibuprofen. As it turned out, getting an unwanted visit from your dead father's angry ghost caused a headache. It was barely light outside, but Danny still got dressed and left for a walk. If he stayed in the apartment any longer, he would drive himself crazy. The room seemed to be closing on him, and he practically ran out the door and down the stairs. The cold morning air bit at him, his breath visible at every exhale. The whole town seemed asleep, the slowly brightening sky acting like a blanket over it. It calmed Danny's anxieties somewhat. 

_It's going to rain today._

The thought was accompanied by the unusually gentle touch of the Shining on his mind. It was almost like it was apologizing for what had happened. _Thank you, Tony_ , Danny thought, finding comfort in the old habit. He couldn't remember the exact moment he'd stopped talking to Tony and had started simply calling it the Shining. Probably sometime after old Hallorann had visited him to help with the ghosts. Danny could use his advice and help right now, but when he looked around the street illuminated by the soft orange streetlights, no one was around. It was only him and the cloudy sky full of blue. 

A small part of his mind expected his father to show up again, but Jack Torrance wasn't anywhere to be found. Danny truly hoped he wouldn't, but he also knew better than to hope his father would do the right thing. He'd given up on that even before the Overlook hotel, and that was a memory he could see perfectly. 

He remembered his father's shouting, and the way sunlight had bounced off the bottle he'd held in his hand. He remembered his mom's fear and her silence, and the way the sound of his bone snapping filled it. He remembered the drive to the hospital, and the lies that had easily left his mom's mouth. She'd been used to it, having done it more than once. The thing he remembered most was the way her voice shook as she'd lied. 

He took a trembling breath, the cold morning air getting through the layers of clothes and making him shiver. He froze in place when he recognized the cozy brick building in front of him. Lost in his thoughts, he'd wandered to the part of town where Blue lived, and ended up in front of her building. He quickly turned away from the building, looking up at the sky. Of course his feet would bring him here; he rushed back towards his apartment as the sun started to rise behind him. The last thing Blue needed was to see him skulking outside her window. 

When he arrived in front of his building, he stopped at the entrance. He couldn't force his feet to move, force himself to go inside. The hairs on the back of his neck raised, and he turned around, feeling like he was being watched. His headache was coming back, but he still didn't move. Sighing, he started walking towards the park. He would wait for the rain there, out in the open, without any walls surrounding him. He sat on one of the wooden benches, leaning his head back to look up at the sky. Clouds were gathering over Frasier, the blue and orange of the morning being replaced by a heavy grey. Cars and delivery trucks drove down the road, the rumble of their engines blending into the sound of thunder rolling in. It had been a little over a year since Danny had arrived in this town and started getting back on his feet, long enough for him to start thinking he was going to be left alone. All it took was lowering his defenses one time, and a person he was willing to lower them for, and his past came back thirsty for blood. 

_The boxes rattled in the snow, and from inside the hotel, something heard them._

The memory rushed in without warning, and left Danny gasping for breath. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on the cold and dark part of his mind where the boxes were, but it kept slipping from him. The rattling started again, and he gritted his teeth, barely managing to calm them down. For a blessed moment, it was quiet. Then Danny felt a _pull_ , felt something trying to drag him down into the dark. He pressed his palms against his ears, groaning in pain. 

"Get. The fuck. Out. Of my head!" He gritted out, lashing out blindly with his Shine. 

_The thing trying to drag him into the maze was running, its prints clearly visible in the snow. Danny chased it down, almost knocking over some of the boxes. All it mattered was getting it out, getting the intruder out-_

Somewhere in the distance, thunder sounded. Danny's eyes flew open. He was breathing heavily, searching his mind for anything foreign without any success. He felt rain on his face, and he stood up, almost falling over. By the time he got to his apartment he was completely drenched, shivering as he took his clothes off. He took a shower, the near-scalding water helping him calm down and not get lost in the snowy maze. 

After getting dressed and another ibuprofen, he made himself some tea and settled in the kitchen. His head was pounding, and he could hardly believe this was how this day would start. His thoughts went to Blue. _How was she doing?_ Hopefully, she was still asleep, or getting over last night. As Danny stared out the window at the downpour, mirror to the blizzard raging in the maze, he made a decision. In this state, he was capable of hurting the people around him, and he'd already hurt Blue. 

He couldn't see her again.

***

Thunder wakes you up, stirring you from restless sleep. You lie in bed for a few minutes, the sound of raindrops against the window untangling the nervous knot in your stomach. You sit up, looking out the window at the clouds rolling in. The street in front of your building is empty, and you spend some time just looking out at the town waking up. Cars start passing by, people going to their jobs. For them, life continues as usual, and the thought gives you enough motivation to get up. 

_You're being really dramatic_ , you think to yourself as you walk over to the bathroom. _You've known Danny for less than a year_. Yet, the pressure in your chest didn't let up, and you curse loudly. How did he manage to get under your skin and become so important to you? You've barely left his apartment, and you were already missing him. The hard truth is, you've completely fallen for him, and you're not sure how you'll manage this whole 'taking-a-break-because-an-angry-ghost-is-angry' thing. 

When has this become your life?

You get in the shower, letting hot water wash over you, closing your eyes and leaning into the stream. You stay like that longer than usual, imagining all the stress and anxiety of last night leaving down the drain. It's working, and you sigh in contentment, finally opening your eyes. You glance down, and scream in horror. Your naked body is pale and swollen, rotting away in places. You stumble backwards out of the shower, almost falling on the tiled floor. 

"What the fuck?" When you catch a glimpse of your reflection in the mirror, you scream again. 

Looking back at you is a disfigured old woman, a walking corpse. Unlike you, the reflection is grinning, revealing a mouth that's missing half the teeth. You raise your hand to your head in shock, and when you move it away, thin slimy strands of hair are caught in your fingers. You turn away from the mirror, squeezing your eyes shut and leaning against the wall. Tears are streaming down your face, and you press your palms against the slippery tiles. 

"It's not real, it's not real..." you repeat to yourself. It couldn't be real, it's your mind playing tricks on you and dealing with the shit that's been going on in the worst possible way. 

Your breathing slows down, but you still don't open your eyes, not sure if you could handle another sight of your body looking like that. Instead, you feel your way back to the bedroom and put on a robe. The fabric sticks to your wet skin, the feeling making you cringe. You tilt your head back, crossing your arms over your chest for a second before putting them back down. 

"It's not real," you say stubbornly. 

Doing a mental countdown, you look down. Your hands are their normal colour, the fingers pruned from the shower. You open the robe slightly, and practically sob in relief at the lack of decomposing flesh. When you touch your hand to your hair, it feels wet, but it doesn't come off. You plop down on the bed, shivering and soaking wet. 

_What the fuck just happened?_

You lie down, throwing the blankets over yourself. Little by little, you relax, aware you've probably caught a cold by now, or will until the day ends, but too exhausted to care. Your second encounter with a ghost, or whatever the fuck that was, in less than a day, and this time Danny wasn't anywhere close to you. You press your head into the pillow, trying to keep tears at bay. It doesn't work, and you choke back a sob, wishing Danny is here with you. 

Your phone buzzes, and you glance at it, not moving from the bed. You just want to get some sleep. 

Only a little sleep. 

But it doesn't come. You just lie in your bed half-awake, feeling colder and colder, until you finally snap, more angry than tired or scared. Outside, the storm is still raging, thunder making the windows rattle. You get to the kitchen and make some coffee. After a short consideration, you reach for the rum tucked away back in one of the cupboards, and you pour a liberal amount in the coffee. You drink it, scalding your tongue, but still sighing in pleasure as the coffee and the rum warm you up from the inside. 

The phone rings again. You don't move from the kitchen, hoping whoever it's calling will get the message and leave you alone. 

They don't. 

It rings again, and you go and answer it, more than a little annoyed and ready to snap at the person on the other end. You pause with your hand outstretched, looking at the palm-shaped bruise on your forearm. 

It would pass. 

You pick up the phone. 

"Hello?" 

It's your boss. "Hey, I know you're free for the weekend, but Barbara just called in sick. I'll cover her tomorrow, but I need you to come in today for the afternoon shift." 

The clock on the wall said it was 11:45. "A whole two hours of notice, Matt," you say with a sigh, holding back laughter at the slight panic in his voice. 

Such a mundane thing, a sick colleague, but mundane and normal is just what you need right now. A shift at the flower shop will be great for taking your mind off of everything. 

"I know, I know, I'm a horrible boss and I don't deserve you amazing ladies working for me." 

"You're right, you don't." You finally laugh, walking over to the window. The rain isn't letting up, but you didn't hate the prospect of walking in it. It will be a chance to clear your head. "You're also lucky my plans fell through." 

"Oh my god, bless you! I owe you big time." 

"I'll gladly accept some takeout as payment." 

"You're a lifesaver, honey, I love you!" There are some shuffling sounds, and you can easily imagine Matt doing a little dance around his living room. 

"Love you back, Matt. I'm in the mood for Chinese," you manage to add before he hangs up. 

You down the rest of your coffee and go get dressed. Matt didn't expect you until two in the afternoon, but you doubt he'll mind you showing up earlier. After putting on your boots and your raincoat, you quickly grab a book from the shelf, just in case you get bored, and you're out the door, a bright yellow umbrella in hand. 

The rain is pouring, the wind making the umbrella pretty much useless, but you welcome the feeling of it on your face. You're alive and breathing, not a rotting corpse, and you're walking in the rain because you have to get to work. The anxiety doesn't disappear completely, but you feel it trickle away like the rain at the side of the road. It's practically the only thing on the road at the moment, no cars around. For the briefest of moments, you get the urge to walk in the middle of the street. The drivers would probably see you because of the umbrella. Why not do it? Why not live a little? 

You're one foot off the curb when you shake out of the thought, quickly stepping back on. Thankfully, you've almost arrived at the shop, and you don't allow yourself to dwell on it. 

You enter the shop, the smell of plants and flowers and _green_ soothing over your restless mind. The small bell above the door rings, and from behind the counter pops up a disheveled-looking young man, his curly brown hair sticking out on all sides. There's a pencil tucked away behind his ear, and he makes such an entertaining sight you can't help but giggle. 

"Hi, Matt," you say, waving your hand in greeting. 

The pencil falls from behind his ear, and he scrambles to catch it as it rolls over the counter. He doesn't succeed, and it rolls over to you. 

"I see you're doing fine." 

"Oh, I'm doing great, honey, can't you see?" Matt runs a hand through his hair, messing it up even further. "You weren't kidding when you said your plans got canceled." 

You put the pencil back on the counter. "No, I wasn't. I needed to get out of the apartment, and I know how... chaotic you can get, so I came to help you out." You force a smile, pushing all thoughts of Danny and all the other stuff to the back of your mind. 

"Are you okay?" Matt asks, settling his hand over yours. "You look like hell, sweetie. Was the date night so awful?" 

"No, no, no!" you rush to explain. "It's just been a stressful few days, and I haven't been sleeping well." You pull back, the bruise on your arm stinging under your shirt. "Things are going great with Fire- with Danny." 

You think Matt will continue pushing the topic, but he laughs and tucks the pencil behind his ear again. "Well, if you ever need a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, or someone to order your favorite takeout, I'm here." 

A wave of gratitude overwhelms you, and you quickly blink away the tears threatening to spill. "Thank you, Matt. I really appreciate it." You glance around the shop, gaze going over the plants and flowers lining the shelves and half the floor. "It's not a very busy day, is it?" 

Matt sighs, focusing on the stack of papers in front of him. "Nope. The storm made sure of it. On the bright side, it gave me time to go over the paperwork." He frowns. "I also remembered I hate paperwork." 

You chuckle, leaning your elbows on the counter. "Barbs usually does this, right?" 

"Yeah, but she's out of commission." 

"Come on, I'll help you out with what I can. But first," you say, pulling out your phone, "we need some food." 

You order the usual from the small Chinese food place nearby, and the two of you settle down, chatting about the newest town gossip. You roll your eyes when Matt outright says Danny is still an interesting topic for the haggle of women at the hair salon. The food arrives soon, and you devour the dumplings and the noodles, not realizing how hungry you actually are. 

"Slow down, you'll choke." 

"It would be a great way to die," you answer, your mouth half-full. 

"You're an animal, I can't believe I let you work out front." Matt gave up on using the chopsticks, and was now simply impaling the dumpling with them. 

"At least I pretend I know how to use those." At that moment, the piece of chicken slips from your grasp and down to the floor. Both of you stare at it for a moment before bursting out in laughter. It's time well spent, and by the time Matt's shift is up and he's leaving, you can almost pretend this is just a normal day, and that last night was just a bad dream. 

You settle in the rickety chair behind the counter, pulling out your book from the bag. You've read it before, but it's still a good distraction. Due to the storm, there aren’t many customers throughout the day, and you spend most of the time reading. It's easy to get lost in the pages, and you've made it through a good chunk of it before the sound of bell ringing interrupts you. 

You look up from the book, a greeting already on your lips, but you’re the only one in the shop. You pause, getting up from the chair and walking over to the entrance door. There's no wet footprints inside, and the street in front is empty when you open the door and look around. 

"Weird," you say out loud, looking up at the sky. The rain is slowing down, and you can see some lone figures on the other end of the street, probably on their way to get groceries. You lean on the door frame, counting the people you see. You get to six when you notice something strange. All of them had red umbrellas and coats, every single one. You lean forward on reflex, trying to see closer, and you feel rain on your face and hair. You brush it behind your ear. When you lower your hand, the palm is covered in red streaks. You frown at it, looking back up, aware of the rising feeling of dread in your chest. 

It's not just the umbrellas or the clothes. The grass in the little square is drenched in red, there's red dripping down the shop windows, red going down the drains. You gag when a metallic smell hits you, and stumble back inside, slamming the door shut. You back away, terrified and whimpering. The blood continues pouring outside, gathering in a puddle in front of the door. 

You press your fear down, forcing yourself to think logically. 

"It's like the reflection this morning. It's not real, you're just going crazy. Or you're haunted." You look up at the ceiling, trying your best not to scream in frustration, with little success. "Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, _fuck_!" 

The blood starts to flow into the shop from under the door, a stark contrast to the pale grey floor. You stare at it, fear and fatigue making you unable to move. The sound of rain on the windows fades into background, and all you're left with is the smell of blood. You catch yourself on one of the shelves before your knees buckle under you, knocking over a flower pot. 

Out of nowhere, you hear a rumble from the outside. A tidal wave of deep red is rushing towards the shop, towards you. Just it before it breaks through the front of the store, throwing you into darkness, you manage one thought. 

_Help me, Danny_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact, in the original doc I added 'You're my only hope' to the last line to make myself laugh  
> Stay safe and at home, everyone!   
> I hope you liked it, kudos and comments are appreciated! i also have a [tumblr](https://bibia-be-ye-ye-ye.tumblr.com/) come say hi


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of reckless decisions in this one, folks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i upped the chapter count, aaaand i know how i'll end this! yay for me! 
> 
> as always thanks to miki who deserves the world

Danny never ran so fast in his life. 

He'd been in the middle of making himself dinner when a shout made him almost cut his hand with a knife. 

_Danny, help me!_

It was Blue, and she was _terrified_ , her cry for help laced with Shine and echoing in Danny's mind. He hadn't wasted any time, rushing out the door and out of the building. 

The storm was letting up, the downpour lessening to a drizzle covering the entire town in fine mist. Danny ran down the road, street lamps lighting his way. He passed few other people on the street, and those he did gave him a puzzled look. He ignored them all, focused only on getting to her as soon as possible. 

He was cursing this whole situation, cursing whatever had come after him yesterday, and cursing himself for not getting rid of it then. Now it possibly came for Blue, and Danny didn't know if he could save her. 

_No_ , he thought, turning the corner. _There's no chance I'm letting that fucking place have her_. _She's mine._ He was surprised at the intense anger he felt, and stumbled on the sidewalk, nearly falling over. 

He was almost at the flower shop, and already he could feel there was something wrong. If he allowed himself to stop and listen, he would hear his old tricycle rolling over thick carpets and polished wooden floor. He shook his head, coming to a stop in front of the flower shop door. The flower shop door, not the door to room 237. 

Steeling himself, he opened it and stepped inside. 

He was greeted by a whole lot of plants and a confused Blue. 

"Danny? What are you doing here?" 

"I..." He was suddenly tongue-tied in front of her, something that hadn't happened for months. "I heard you shouting for help." 

She frowned, lifting up a book. "I've been reading this the whole afternoon. The only thing anyone could help me with is boredom." 

"A-Are you sure you're okay?" He walked forward, wrinkling his nose. There was a heavy, metallic scent hanging over the room, making him dizzy. He hung his head, rubbing his temples. A dull throbbing settled there, making him stumble back. 

"Is something wrong, Danny?" Blue was up and at his side in a split second, hand on his shoulder. 

Usually, he would gladly accept her comfort, but now it seemed to worsen his condition. He swayed on his feet, leaning away from her. His head hurt, making it difficult to think, his senses overwhelmed by the smell of blood. 

"Is it Tony?" 

Blue's question made him freeze, his thoughts coming to an almost complete still. Only one remained: _That wasn't Blue._

"I never told you about him," he managed to say. 

"What do you mean? You wouldn't shut the fuck about Tony." 

Her voice was harsher, and Danny could practically hear his Shine screaming in alarm. When he looked at her Blue was staring back at him with a smirk, but what shook him were her eyes. They were a dull grey, staring right at him. 

"Who are you?" He already knew the answer; the crawling darkness was familiar from last night. 

"Does it matter?" she responded, walking away from him. "What's important is I'm in a body you would do anything to protect, isn't that right?" 

Danny didn't say anything, glaring at the thing possessing Blue. "Get out of her." 

"Or what? Let's face it, Doc, you don't have the balls to do what it takes to send me away. You got lucky last time." 

It was right, the darkness had taken him over last night so fast he hadn't managed to do anything. He hadn't even been the one to get rid of it. "But that wasn't-" he cut himself off. An idea came to him. A terrible, risky idea that could backfire in so many ways for him. But Blue would be safe in the end, and it was all that mattered. 

"The wheels in your mind are turning, Doc. I hope you're not planning on running away." Blue settled her hands on her hips, cocking her head. "Though, if you did, no one would be surprised. It's all you and your bitch of a mother have done for years." She started counting on her fingers. "Running from Jack, running from cold and snow, running from your powers, responsibility, random hookups... I could go on.” She swept a hand down her body. “You even ran from her, in the beginning. You shouldn't have stopped, Danny. You should have kept running, and drinking, and hiding-" 

"Shut up, just shut up!" He couldn't take it, the harsh words spoken in Blue's usually gentle voice, one that brought him comfort. It was wrong in every sense, and he needed to free her. "I'm done running. But Blue has nothing to do with this. Let her go." 

"And why would I do that?" 

Running away or saving Blue. It was a simple decision, in the end. "Because I'll let you take me. That's what you want, right? To drag me back to that fucking hotel? Just take me, you already know I won't be able to fight you." 

"It's a tempting offer, Doc. I'm actually surprised you have the balls for it." She raised her hands in surrender. "Fine. It'll be satisfying to see the look on her face." 

"You won't hurt her,” he said with a snarl. “You hurt her, and I'll make sure you and that fucking building burn to the ground." 

"You're no fun," she said, rolling her eyesl. "But fine. I won't lay a finger on her. Scout's honor." 

Danny sighed in relief despite the panic trying to suffocate him. He looked at Blue's face, at the cruel expression so out of place there. 

"Can I at least say goodbye to her?" He asked. 

She raised her eyebrows, placing a hand on his shoulder. "If it will get us out of here quicker." 

***

 _When you come to, you're in an old attic full of cardboard boxes. You look around, trying to orient yourself, but the attic seems to go on indefinitely in either direction. Sunlight comes in through the roof windows, casting a warm orange glow over the room. You lean in to inspect the nearest box. It's scuffed, as if it's been moved around a lot. Your eyes widen in surprise when you read the sticker at the front._

ARRIVAL AT FRASIER, xx/yy/zzzz 

_Upon closer inspection, you realize all of the boxes are marked similarly, each one representing your memories, your knowledge. The day you got the job at the flower shop, all the times you fell and scraped your knees as a child, your crushes. You realize, with a faint flush, that Danny's name is on that box, no doubt because of many days spent gazing at the town park through the shop window when he was there._

_You look around your mind, amazed at the sight of it. It's messier than you expected, different mementos from your past scattered among the boxes; a bicycle here, an old favorite shirt there, even some cherry trees that acted as support columns. It's a place you could see yourself relaxing in and not leaving, which made sense. You're in no rush to try and find a way out, settling instead on one of the boxes, this one marked as_ GETTING DRUNK ON CHEAP WINE, 1/? _, and trying to gather your thoughts._

_The last thing you remember is red, just the color red all around you. It rushed you, throwing you into darkness before you finally woke up in this place. You freeze as the rest of the memories come to you, the horror you felt last night overwhelming you for a second. You need to get out here, need to find Danny and warn him!_

"Don't worry, he already knows what's going on." _The voice doesn't have a source, it seems to come from everywhere. It sounds almost bored._

 _You feel nauseous as the sunlight outside slowly gets replaced by grey, a heaviness settling over your mind._

"You got lucky, actually. I planned to have such fun with you. I guess Doc will have to do." 

_You shrink away from the words, looking for a way to escape as the grey slowly turns to red. You're waiting for the tide of blood to rush in and engulf you, anything to get you away from the voice._

"What did you do to him?" _You shout._

"You get one goodbye, and that's it. If you come after him, I'll make sure you die in the slowest way possible, and that he watches every minute of it. You understand?" 

_You manage a nod, pressing yourself against the boxes. The one at your back is scratched and bloody, and you know right away it contains the memories of last night. You feel a tug on your legs, and before you're dragged back to the real world, you reach for the box on instinct, taking the memories with you._

***

You open your eyes and find yourself looking up at Danny's face. He's holding you up, pulling you into a tight hug as you get your feet under you. You return the hug, clinging to him as hard as you can. You feel lightheaded and almost miss the words Danny says in your ear. 

"Blue, I did something stupid, and I need you to listen to me." 

You lean back, brushing the wet hair out of his face. At the sight of his mismatched eyes – one its usual blue, the other a terrifying milky white – you startle and almost fall backwards. 

"What did you do?” you ask. “There was blood, and the voice, a-and now you're here-" 

"It's back, the thing from yesterday, and it got me. I can't fight it, Blue, but you did it yesterday, you just-" He groans in pain, closing his eyes for a brief moment. When he opens them again, both of his eyes are pale grey. He won’t be able to fight it for long. 

He grips your arms, almost making you cry out. "It's gonna take over, but I need you to know something." 

You stare at him, unable to speak. How did this happen? How did things fall apart so suddenly? Why the fuck couldn’t that thing leave you alone? 

"I love you, Blue." 

As soon as the words leave his mouth, his eyes roll back. When he looks back at you, his face is expressionless, his hands gently tracing your arms. You pull back, stumbling in the attempt to get as far away from the thing in Danny’s body as possible. 

_He’s not gone_ , you think to yourself. _I’m getting him back_. 

“Remember what I said before?” His voice sounds the same, but it shouldn’t, it’s not Danny, it’s not your Firefly. 

“I do. If I follow you, you’ll kill me.” 

“Good girl,” he says with a slow grin. 

You barely suppress a shudder at his words, taking additional steps back. 

“We could’ve had fun, Blue. We still can.” 

“Shut up. Just shut up and leave.” You barely recognize your own voice, cold and flat as it is. You force yourself not to react as Danny shrugs. 

“Your loss.” 

And just like that, he’s out the door. You somehow get to the chair and sit down, shivering all over. 

_It might be my loss_ , you think, anger bursting to life inside your chest. 

_But I’ll get him back_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're over halfway there, folks!   
> the plot of this chapter and the last one follows the lyrics of 'A Car, a Torch, a Death', something I didn't plan in any way. So yeah, a fun fact   
> i have a [tumblr](https://bibia-be-ye-ye-ye.tumblr.com/) come say hi


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little interlude before the finale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit shorter, I haven't been in a mood for anything lately, but it's passed? I hope? we'll see  
> as always special thanks to miki for being her wonderful self and putting up with my melodramatic ass   
> hope you enjoy the chapter!

It's not until Danny – the thing possessing his body – leaves that you break down. All strength drains from you, leaving you spiraling into hopelessness. At the same time, your blood's burning with rage, rage at the bastard that's taken Danny, that violated you both. 

"I'll get him back," you say to yourself, gripping the table so hard your hands start to ache. You grip harder, relishing in the grounding pain. You're in pain, in the flower shop, far away from the bastard. 

And you'll have to track him down if you want to save Danny. 

You huff, some of your anger directing at Danny. How in the fuck's name are you supposed to save him? 

It's only when the storm starts up again that a thunder strike brings you out of your thoughts. Your eyes focus, and you remind yourself again that you're not in a warm attic or trapped inside a bloody room. You're in the shop, and you're surrounded by the smell of plants, not blood. The sky outside is slowly darkening, rain dripping down the windows. You get up, walking over to the door and locking it. You close down the shop on autopilot, sending a message to Matt. You explain how you're not feeling well and are leaving early. He'll probably be angry, but you're beyond the point of caring. 

You finish up in the shop faster and less careful than you usually would, and are out the door when lightning flashes again. Thunder strikes, and you feel the ground shake with it. It's pouring, and you're in the middle of reaching for your umbrella when your vision darkens. You stumble, slipping on the wet pavement and falling backwards. 

_You land on a dusty wooden floor. The room around you is already familiar despite the short time you've spent here._

_You're back in the attic, but this time, you're not alone._

"Hello, Miss." 

You turn towards the voice. There's an older black man standing behind you, a smile on his weathered face. He seems to fit in the sunny attic more than you at the moment, and it puts you slightly more at ease, but you still don't move your eyes off of him as you get up. 

"Who are you?" 

"My name's Halorann, I'm a friend of Doc's." His smile widens, and the sunlight seems a little brighter. "I'm here to help you save him." 

The laugh escapes you before you can stop it. "I'm sorry, I-I've had a long day," you say. The understatement of that sentence sends you into another laughing fit, tears running down your cheeks. Before you know it, you're shaking with sobs, hugging your knees in order not to break down completely. The attic changes, too, the light going out and flowers on the trees withering away. 

You squeeze your eyes closed, breathing deeply. You can't lose it right now, but how do you keep going? 

"Blue." Halorann's voice is closer; he must be crouching next to you. 

That nickname, _Danny's_ nickname for you, being spoken by someone else made something inside you snap. Literally, as branches on the cherries twist and break, the sound carrying through your mind. 

"Don't," you say in an ice-cold voice. The shaking has stopped, and you unclench your fingers from where they're digging into your skin. "Don't call me that." 

"Alright, Miss." He raises his arms in a placating gesture. 

"How am I supposed to save him? That thing was inside me, inside my mind, and I couldn't do anything." The words feel bitter on your tongue. "And it promised to do much worse to me if I come after it." 

Halorann nods, getting up on his feet and sitting back in a rickety chair that wasn't there a moment before. "It's dangerous, true. It killed me almost forty years ago, and it's indeed capable of unspeakable cruelty." 

"You're really selling this whole rescue thing." 

"It's because I don't have to sell you something you're already going to do." He points somewhere above your left shoulder. 

You follow the line of sight, your gaze landing on one of your memory boxes. You frown, noticing the bloody handprints all over it. _It's the memories from today_ , you realize. _Memories of where it trapped me_. Like the chair he's sitting on, you're sure this wasn't here before. 

"You already have the answers you need." Halorann's voice echoes, as if far away. "I just showed you where to look." 

When you look back, he's gone, an ornate box on the rickety chair the only sign he's ever been there. You smile, the attic brightening with your mood. You reach for the box, determined to keep your hands still. 

Hopefully whatever's inside would be enough to help you save your Firefly. 

*** 

Billy was glad to be back home and out of the rain. With the weather as terrible as it was, he had spent most of the day in the community center helping with preparations for the party next week. It had been a long day of moving tables and chairs. 

He took off his boots and hung his jacket, not wanting to get his apartment as wet as he was. His stomach rumbled, and he walked over to the kitchen. There were some leftovers of yesterday pasta in the fridge. 

_Thump_. 

Billy looked around, frowning at the sound. Another one followed soon after, and he abandoned lunch to find the source. He checked all the rooms, but couldn't find anything. Which one of his neighbors was acting up? 

Another _thump_. 

His head whipped up. It was coming from upstairs. 

What the hell was Dan doing? First the racket that had woken Billy up in the middle of the night today, and now this? Billy got his phone out, dialing Dan, but without any success. Another crash from the floor above, this one louder. He should go up and check on Dan, just to make sure his friend was doing okay. 

And yet, he didn't move from the living room. _Something_ was telling him it was a bad idea to go upstairs, a very bad idea. 

But he couldn't just stand there and do nothing. Sighing, he dialed Blue's number, ignoring the memory of her shouts last night. 

She picked up on the third ring. 

"Hello? Billy?" 

She sounded terrible, and Billy paused for a moment. 

"Uh, hey," he said finally. "This might be a weird question, but is everything okay with Dan? It's just, there was all this noise yesterday, and now he's throwing things around his place-" 

"I'll take care of it. Don't go up to his apartment." 

Before Billy could ask her _how_ exactly was she going to take care of it, she hung up. He should ignore her order and go see Dan for himself, but again. Something was keeping him rooted to the spot. 

Shaking his head, he continued to the kitchen. Blue would handle it, and Danny would probably be happier to see her than him. He should eat some dinner. 

Outside, the storm continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and comments are welcome! i have a [tumblr](https://bibia-be-ye-ye-ye.tumblr.com/) come say hi if you want it's great there

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you liked it, kudos and comments are appreciated! i also have a [tumblr](https://bibia-be-ye-ye-ye.tumblr.com/) come say hi


End file.
